Pedestal dispenser

ABSTRACT

A dispenser pedestal for storing and dispensing product from a container having a base and a pair of braces extending from the base. A basket defines an opening for the container. The basket pivotally seats with the brace for movement about an axis between a storage position with the container in a generally upright position, and a dispensing position for dispensing product from the container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/147,356 filed Jan. 26, 2009 from which priority is claimed, and ishereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to dispensers, and, more particularly,to a liquid dispenser for convenient storage and dispensing.

In the food and restaurant industry, many liquid products aretransported and delivered in a package commonly referred to as abag-in-box (BIB). The BIB typically comprises of a product filled bagenclosed by a cardboard box. The cardboard box protects the bag insidefrom damage during shipping and handling. After delivery, the userremoves a perforated patch thereby creating an opening to the bag. Adispensing fitment attaches to an outlet of the bag for dispensing. Thistype of packaging is well-suited for economical transport of bulkproducts because it requires very little packaging relative to theamount of product. However, BIB is not well-suited for actual use in arestaurant or other setting. Typically, a BIB package is large andheavy, which makes it difficult to handle and dispense and contributesto waste and safety issues.

Therefore, what is needed is a dispenser that conveniently stores anddispenses BIB packages.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pedestal dispenser positioned on ahorizontal surface and supporting a product container, in accordancewith and embodying the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pedestal dispenser mounted on avertical surface;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pedestal dispenser mounted on avertical surface, supporting a product container, and positioned in adispensing position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a pedestaldispenser;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the alternate embodiment ofthe pedestal dispenser; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a dispensing fitment.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way ofexample and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enablesone skilled in the art to make and use the invention, describes severalembodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of theinvention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode ofcarrying out the invention. Additionally, it is to be understood thatthe invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and the arrangements of components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention iscapable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried outin various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should notbe regarded as limiting.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, an embodiment of the present disclosure,generally referred to as a pedestal dispenser 10, includes a basket 12sized and shaped for reception and support of a product container 14.The basket 12 includes engagement members 15 moveably seat with apedestal 16 for movement of the basket 12 between a storage position(FIG. 1) for storage of the product container 14 and a dispensingposition (FIG. 3) for dispensing product from the container 14.

The pedestal 16 is preferably a wire framework, including a generallyrectangular base 18 having four side members 22 that define an opening19 therebetween. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the base18 can be configured into a multitude of other shapes, including, butnot limited to circular, polygonal, rectilinear, triangular,curvilinear, and the like. A pair of braces 20 extends generallyvertically from opposed side members 22 of the base 18 so that thebraces 20 are general parallel with each other. Each brace 20 includes agenerally angled anterior upright 21 and posterior upright 23 that forma generally triangular shape and define an opening 25. Those skilled inthe art will recognize that the base 18 can be configured into amultitude of other shapes, including, but not limited to circular,polygonal, rectilinear, triangular, curvilinear, and the like.

The anterior upright defines a slot 24 at about the distal end of thebrace 20. The slot 24 extends generally downwardly towards the base 18,generally inwardly towards the center of the opening 19 of the brace 20,and generally planar with the brace 20. Preferably, the slot 24 ispositioned at an angle of about 90° relative to the anterior upright 21,or at an angle of 45° relative to the base 22. At such an angle, theslot 24 can adequately seat the engagement members 15 when the pedestalrests either in a horizontal surface 64 (FIG. 1) or mounted to avertical surface 32 (FIG. 2). The slot 24 is sized and shaped to receivethe engagement members 15 of the basket 12. In FIGS. 1-3, eachengagement member 15 embodies a hook that seats within the slot 24 forpivotal movement along an axis X of the engagement member 15 and thebasket 12. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the slot 24 canembody any size, shape, and configuration that moveably seats the basket12 with the pedestal 16. Moreover, the engagement member 15 can compriseother element known in the art for moveably seating with pedestal,including, but not limited to, bearings, bushings, and the like.

A pair of mounts 26, such as hooks, extends from an upper portion of thebase 18. The mounts 26 are sized and shaped for removable engagementwith a corresponding wall bracket 28. The wall bracket 28 includes aplate 30 configured for attachment to a generally vertical surface 32(FIG. 3), such as a wall, with fasteners 34, and a generally horizontalbar 36 sized and shaped to couple with the mounts 26. Those skilled inthe art will recognize that the mounts 26 can be configured forengagement with other devices for mounting the dispenser 10 to avertical surface.

The basket 12 includes a generally rectangular upper rim 38 with frontmember 40, rear member 42, and side members 44. The engagement members15 extend generally outwardly from each side member 44 to moveably,preferably pivotally, seat within corresponding slots 24 of the braces20 along axis X. A plurality of generally U-shaped wire supports 50attach, such as with welding, between opposed sides of the rim 38 todefine an opening 52 sized and shaped to receive and support thecontainer 14. In FIGS. 1-3, two wire supports 50 extend between a frontand rear sides of the rim 38 and three wire supports 50 extend betweenthe sides of the rim 38. However, any number of wire supports 50 can beused to provide support for the container 14. The opening 52 of thebasket 12 is defined to generally correspond to the shape of thecontainer 14. Also, the opening 52 should be deep enough to receiveabout half of the total height of the container 14. In this way, thecenter of gravity of the container 14 remains below the axis X so thatthe basket 12 automatically returns to the storage position when not inuse due to the force of gravity. If desired, a panel 53 attached to thefront of the basket 12 can display indicia, such as instructions,advertisements, product identification, and the like.

The container 14 is preferably a conventional “bag-in-box” package thatincludes a bag 54 of product, such as cooking oil, enclosed by agenerally rectangular box 56 (FIG. 1). The upper end of the box 56defines an opening 58 sized and shaped to provide access to an outlet 60of the bag 54. The outlet 60 is configured to couple with a removabledispensing fitment 62 that can meter and dispense the product from thebag 54. The bag 54 can be made from any number of plastic materials andpreferably a food grade material. The box 56 is preferably made fromcardboard, but can also comprise other suitable materials. The container14 can be used to store and dispense various liquid products including,but not limited to, cooking oil, margarine, syrup, dressing, sauce,brine, puree, and juice. The container 14 can also be used to store anddispense non-food items including, but not limited to, chemicals,surfactants, and motor oil.

The pedestal dispenser 10 is preferably made from metal wire stock,preferably a 3 gauge nickel-chrome wire, but other material and gaugescan also be used, including, but not limited to stainless steel, orother suitable material. However, other materials can be used such asplastic.

In operation, the pedestal dispenser 10 can either rest of a horizontalsurface 64

(FIG. 1) or mount to a vertical surface 32 (FIG. 2). For the horizontalsurface 64, the base 18 of the pedestal 16 rests on the horizontalsurface 64 so that the braces 20 extend upwardly. For the verticalsurface 32, the wall bracket 28 mounts to the vertical surface 32 withfasteners 34. The mounts 26 engage the bar 36 of the wall bracket 28 sothat the base 18 hangs downwardly and at least partially rests againstthe vertical surface 32. In this position, the slots 24 are located onthe upper side of the braces 20 to receive the basket 12.

After either horizontal or vertical mounting of the pedestal 16, thebasket 12 pivotally mounts to the pedestal 16 by seating the engagementmembers 15 into corresponding slots 24. A container 14 is placed intothe opening 52 so that the dispensing fitment 62 faces forward. Theforce of gravity pivots the basket 12 and container 14 to a generallyupright plane, referred to as the storage position (FIG. 1). An operatorpivots the container 14 and basket 12 about the X axis to the dispensingposition. The operator engages the dispensing figment 62 to dispense theproduct (FIG. 3). After the desired amount of product dispenses, theoperator disengages the dispensing figment 62 and releases the container14 and basket 12, which return to the storage position due to the forceof gravity. As seen from the above description, the pedestal dispenser16 effectively suspends the container 14 so that an operator can easilypivot the container 14 between the storage position and dispensingposition.

The present disclosure can also be embodied in the form of FIGS. 4-5,which pivotally mounts the basket 12 to a floor-standing pedestal 100 sothat the basket pivots between a storage position and a dispensingposition. The floor-standing pedestal 100 includes a bottom member orbase 102 for resting on horizontal surface 104, such as the floor. Apost 106 extends upwardly from the base 102 to support a U-shaped brace108. Holes 110 at the upper ends of the brace 108 receive the engagementmembers 15 of the basket at pivot axis X. The basket 12 is similar tothe basket of FIGS. 1-3 and therefore, will not be described again here.

In operation, a container 14 is placed into the opening 52 so that thedispensing fitment 62 faces forward. The force of gravity pivots thebasket 12 and container 14 to a generally upright position. An operatorpivots the container 14 and basket 12 about the X axis to the dispensingposition. The operator engages the dispensing figment 62 to dispense theproduct. After the desired amount of product dispenses, the operatordisengages the dispensing figment 62 and releases the container 14 andbasket 12, which return to the storage position due to the force ofgravity.

Changes can be made in the above constructions without departing fromthe scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained inthe above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

1. A dispenser pedestal for storing and dispensing product from acontainer, comprising: a base; a pair of braces extending from the base;and a basket pivotally seated to the brace for movement about an axisbetween a storage position with the container in a generally uprightposition, and a dispensing position for dispensing product from thecontainer, the basket defining an opening sized and shaped to receive acontainer.
 2. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising: a wallbracket configured for attachment to a vertical surface; and a mountinghook extending from a distal end of the base, the mounting hook sizedand shaped for detachable engagement of the wall bracket for support ofthe dispenser pedestal.
 3. The dispenser of claim 1, each brace,comprising: a generally angled anterior upright; and a generally angledposterior upright attached to the anterior upright to form a generallytriangular shape and define an opening.
 4. The dispenser of claim 3,wherein the anterior upright defines a slot sized and shaped to receivethe engagement member.
 5. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein the slot ispositioned at an angle of 45° relative to the base.
 6. The dispenser ofclaim 1, the basket comprising: a generally rectangular upper rim;engagement members extending from opposed sides of the upper rim; and aplurality of generally U-shaped wire supports extending between opposedsides of the upper rim to define an opening sized and shaped to receiveand support the container.
 7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the baseis configured for engagement with either a horizontal surface or avertical surface.
 8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the basket issized and shaped to receive the container so that the center of gravityof the container is positioned within the opening of the basket andbelow the axis.
 9. The dispenser of claim 1, the base comprising: abottom member shaped and sized for resting on a horizontal surface; apost extending upwardly from the bottom member; and a U-shaped braceattached to an upper end of the post; the brace defining holes sized andshaped to receive the engagement members of the basket at pivot axis X.10. A system for storing and dispensing product from a container,comprising: a wireframe base configured for engagement with either ahorizontal surface or a vertical surface; a pair of wireframe bracesextending from the base, each brace defining an engagement juncturealong a pivot axis; and a basket pivotally seated to the brace at theengagement juncture for movement about the pivot axis between a storageposition with the container in a generally upright position, and adispensing position, the basket defining an opening sized and shaped toreceive a container.
 11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the basketis sized and shaped to receive the container so that the center ofgravity of the container is positioned within the opening of the basketand below the axis.
 12. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising: awall bracket configured for attachment to a vertical surface; and amounting hook extending from a distal end of the base, the mounting hooksized and shaped for detachable engagement of the wall bracket forsupport of the dispenser pedestal.
 13. The dispenser of claim 10, eachbrace, comprising: a generally angled anterior upright; and a generallyangled posterior upright attached to the anterior upright to form agenerally triangular shape and define an opening.
 14. The dispenser ofclaim 13, wherein the anterior upright defines a slot sized and shapedto receive the engagement member.
 15. The dispenser of claim 14, whereinthe slot is positioned at an angle of 45° relative to the base.
 16. Thedispenser of claim 1, the basket comprising: a generally rectangularupper rim; engagement members extending from opposed sides of the upperrim; and a plurality of generally U-shaped wire supports extendingbetween opposed sides of the upper rim to define an opening sized andshaped to receive and support the container.
 17. A method for storingand dispensing product from a container, comprising: providing a basefor engagement with either a horizontal surface or vertical surface;providing a pair of braces extending from the base; providing a basketpivotally seated to the brace about an axis, the basket defining anopening sized and shaped to receive a container; inserting a containerinto the opening of the basket; and pivoting the basket and containerabout the axis between a storage position with the container in agenerally upright position, and a dispensing position for dispensingproduct from the container.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein thebasket is sized and shaped to receive the container so that the centerof gravity of the container is positioned within the opening of thebasket and below the axis.
 19. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising: providing a wall bracket configured for attachment to avertical surface; and providing a mounting hook extending from a distalend of the base, the mounting hook sized and shaped for detachableengagement of the wall bracket for support of the dispenser pedestal.